Vampire stories have always been with us. From the original Dracula, Dark Shadows, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Twilight, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries, the recent trend towards vampires, werewolves, and other mythological creatures has hit an all time high. Simply put, if it has fangs, it sells.

 

Ironically, that was not the case in the 2007 when Moonlight, a pilot supposedly inspired by Trevor O. Munson’s book Angel of Vengeance, was picked up by CBS for the 2007-2008 television season. The main character, who goes by Mick Angel in the novel and Mick St. John in the television series, is the stereotypical dark and brooding vampire looking for redemption for his undead state and all that it means. Having taken the role of private investigator – what else do you become when you can only go out at night? – he takes it upon himself to search out rapists, murders, and abusers of namely women and children to feed on. For Angel, this choice of sustenance not only justifies his killing of humans in order to live, but also gives him an outlet to play out anger from his past.

 

From the very first scene, you realize there’s an even darker issue at hand here for the lead character: he doesn’t just hunger for blood, he’s addicted to it. Left over from his days as a drug addict, Angel has continued his same old habits, only instead of heroin he now finds comfort in shooting blood. As ironic as it sounds, this method of absorption gives him the sort of instant fix that other methods don’t. In addition, there’s the usual array of femme fatales throughout the book to spark his interest, as well as numerous flashbacks that add a little bit of flair. Even as unforgettable as some may be to him, they obviously take a back seat to his addiction.

 

As a fan of vampire, werewolf, witch, and other mystical creature stories, the biggest problem I have with this book is its unmistakable likeness to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off Angel. The character’s name, his location, his chosen profession, his passion for redemption, it’s all been done before.

 

If you’re looking for a deep, gripping novel that you just can’t put down then this is not it. At 239 pages, it’s fairly short but worth reading if you’re in between novels. Otherwise, you might want to give this one a miss. | Jennifer Manjarez    

 

To read an excerpt from Angel of Vengeance and read an interview with author Trevor O. Munson, visit http://titanbooks.com/angel-of-vengeance-the-story-which-inspired-the-tv-show-moonlight-4952/